Monthly Archives: March 2011

Typically, when we think of corals, we think of brightly colored organisms. Certainly corals are prized for the colors that they bring to our reef tanks. In fact, it is the search for eye popping color that has led so many to change to LED lights, and it is the need to impress other hobbyists that has led to the widespread use of photoshop to enhance coral colors in online photos.Colors are wonderful, but I think shape variety is a lost art in reefkeeping. I appreciate not only the wonderful colors in various corals but the texture that a variety of shapes brings to a reef tank. To that end, I try to take at least some of my tank photographs in black and white – just to show people that color is not the only thing that makes a coral beautiful.

I think most people in the marine aquarium hobby enjoy the daily surprises our piece of the ocean supply on a daily basis. Whether its hitchhikers, spawnings or new growth of our corals we all look on with a big smile. A few years back I added a different dimension to my enjoyment by purchasing a microscope that also came with a camera. I started thinking about getting one when my White Spotted Pygmy Filefish (Rudarius ercodes) started spawning. Their eggs and fry were so small I was curious to see what they looked like. Shortly after a quick trip to an online website, I had my microscope.

Whitespotted Pygmy Filefish (Rudarius ercodes) Eggs

After I got everything set up and I took pictures of the filefish eggs. I started looking at all sorts of reef-related stuff under the microscope. Soon after the pygmy files spawned my Bristletail Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus) started spawning and I was able to gather their eggs for observation.

Bristletail Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus) Eggs

Things got rolling from there. I didn’t miss an opportunity to view anything I could. Here are a bunch of things I thought were interesting. The captions describe what they are.

Hippocampus erectus Stillborn Fry

Grass Shrimp (Palaemonetes pugio) Fry

Berghia Verrucicornis Egg Cluster

Northern Pipefish (Syngnathus fucus) Egg

Asian shore crab (Hemigrapsus sanguineus) Egg Cluster

Spotted Anemone Shrimp (Periclimenes yucatanicus) Fry

Besides entertainment, a microscope also could be used for necropsy purposes of dead fish and corals. This can be a useful tool in identifying the cause of death and help treat for disease and infection more efficiently.Microscopes can be found online on many sites and in all different price ranges. Mine has a max of 1000x magnification which is plenty for what most of us would use it for. I recommend getting one. The entertainment value alone makes it worth it.More pictures can bee seen here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=159375587415630&aid=49773… More:

It is with a heavy heart that we mark the passing of a man who unwittingly is partly responsible for our ability to frag so easily. Harry Coover the inventor of cyanoacrylate super glue passed away today at age 94.http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110327/ap_on_re_us/us_obit_super_glue_inventor_2Note that the need for its invention arose from of all things- broken refractometers. An entire industry you likely knew nothing about salutes you Harry.… More:

The long awaited and somewhat contested patent pending Majano Wand is now available for purchase exclusively through Saltwater Critters. For all those people who have been plagued by endless hordes of majanos and aiptasia, you can finally have your revenge with this cool, futuristic looking tool that literally blasts these guys into submission. We’d sure love to get our hands on one to put through the paces with a particularly nasty FOWLR tank. If you have one, send us your reviews and comments!… More:

One of my favorite fish is the Fantail Filefish (Pervagor spilosoma). It originates from the eastern side of the pacific (mostly around Hawaii). Many of the Hawaiian locals call this fish the “Leopard Filefish.” You can see clearly why in the picture below.

Fantail Filefish (Pervagor spilosoma)

These fish tend to be aggressive with similar and the same species. I’ve had great success getting them eating prepared foods. It seems they are willing to try anything including ornamental shrimp and may even “taste” corals. I’ve seen them test bite just about everything. They grow to a max of about 7″ but I think their activity level warrants a larger tank for them.My favorite thing about these filefish (other than their appearance) is how active they are. They constantly are swimming around the tank and through the rock work. Definitely one of the most entertaining fish I’ve kept.The real mystery of these filefish is the episodic spawning they engage in. Once in a while (timing is not really known) this fish is found in overwhelming numbers in the shallows of Hawaii. Many of the fish are preyed upon or wash up on the beaches dead. This spawning occurrence was particularly peculiar in 1944, 1975 and 1982-1987. This is when millions of the fish gathered. It’s not known what triggers the event or what the rationale for it is.

Fantail Filefish (Pervagor spilosoma)

I’ve wanted to breed these fish in captivity although it seems unlikely even though I did experience a spawning of a similar species, Pervagor melanocephalus. Hopefully, in time, I’ll be posting a blog about my Fantail Filefish spawning.

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